Religious Observances
In the Hindu religion, Thursday is Guruvaar (गुरुवार), from Guru, the Sanskrit name for Jupiter, the largest of planets. Guruvaar fasting is very common throughout India for various holy/religious reasons. Guru also means "Teacher" - referring to the role that Brhaspati, the God of the planet Jupiter, has as teacher of all the gods. For this reason, in Buddhist Thailand Thursday is considered the "Teacher's Day", and it is believed that one should begin one's education on this auspicious day. Thai students still pay homages to their teachers in specific ceremony always held on a selected Thursday. And gradualtion day in Thai universities, which can vary depending on each university, almost always will be held on a Thursday.
In Judaism and Islam Thursdays are considered auspicious days for fasting. The Didache warned early Christians not to fast on Thursdays to avoid Judaizing, and suggested Fridays instead.
In Judaism the Torah is read in public on Thursday mornings, and special penitential prayers are said on Thursday, unless there is a special occasion for happiness which cancels them.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church. Thursdays are dedicated to the Apostles and Saint Nicholas. The Octoechos contains hymns on these themes, arranged in an eight-week cycle, that are chanted on Thursdays throughout the year. At the end of Divine Services on Thursday, the dismissal begins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of his most-pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles, of our Father among the saints Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonder-worker…"
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Famous quotes containing the words religious and/or observances:
“God from the mount of Sinai, whose grey top
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself
In thunder lightning and loud trumpets’ sound
Ordain them laws; part such as appertain
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Of sacrifice, informing them, by types
And shadows, of that destined seed to bruise
The serpent, by what means he shall achieve
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“... if it be true that death is annihilation, then the man who believes that he will certainly go straight to heaven when he dies, provided he has fulfilled certain simply observances in this life, has a cheap pleasure which will not be followed by the least disappointment.”
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